Liberia has inaugurated a new National Hospitality Training Centre in Monrovia, designed to strengthen the country’s tourism workforce and expand employment opportunities for young people, according to a statement distributed by APO Group on behalf of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung inaugurated the facility at the Business and Domestic Occupational Training Centre, describing it as a strategic investment in the country’s human capital and a significant step toward expanding technical and vocational education opportunities. He said investments in skills development remain critical to job creation, economic growth and national transformation.
The centre was constructed by UNIDO with funding from the European Union under the Youth Rising Project, and equipped by the International Institute for Cooperation and Development through the STRIVE Project, funded by the Agence Française de Développement. It will offer hands-on training in hospitality management, tourism services, food preparation and accommodation management, aimed at equipping students with skills sought by the labour market.
Youth and Sports Minister Cornelia W. Kruah said the facility would help bridge the gap between education and employment by offering market-oriented training tied directly to industry demand, describing it as a model for future technical and vocational education initiatives across Liberia.
Education Minister Jarso Maley Jallah said the project reflected what strong partnerships and shared commitment to youth empowerment could achieve. “We are changing the narrative of technical vocational education in Liberia,” Jallah said. “It is no longer an alternative pathway but a gateway to innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunity.” She said strategic investment in hospitality infrastructure and workforce development could help position tourism as a key driver of Liberia’s national development.
Virpi Stucki, chief of UNIDO’s Fair Production, Sustainability and Trade Division, said the handover marked more than the opening of a building. “Today is a celebration of partnership, commitment, and our shared belief in the potential of Liberia’s young people,” she said, crediting the collaboration between the European Union, the Agence Française de Développement, the International Institute for Cooperation and Development, and the Liberian government.